


put your head on my shoulder

by IzzieBee



Series: could be lookin' at you [2]
Category: Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cuties, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, High School Winter Formal, Karolina POV, PDA, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2019-03-08 03:13:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13449324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IzzieBee/pseuds/IzzieBee
Summary: Karolina doesn’t want to freak Nico out, or push for too much too fast, but she want’s to be touching her all the time. She can wait though, for Nico to make the first move.OrFive times Nico initiates PDA, and one time Karolina does.(Takes place between (5) and (+1) of ‘we could be friends’, but can be read as a stand alone.)





	put your head on my shoulder

(1)

“Chase is just being impossible,” Gert said, adjusting her glasses, “I think we are done for real this time.”

Karolina should have been listening intently, ready to give advice and support and possibly a shoulder to cry on. Even if this is the third time in the last two months that she has said her and Chase ‘are done for real’. She should be, but all she could do is nod, and give a small smile in support (which probably looked more like a grimace).

Karolina and Gert were holding there books next to Nico’s locker, where she was using the mirror to re-apply her lipstick. 

Karolina was trying not to stare, she really was. Gert deserved her undivided attention, but it was easier said then done, because Karolina and Nico were together. Like together, together. She so wanted to reach out, and play with ends of Nico’s hair, or curl her body around hers like they weren’t in the middle of a school hallway, where she should have been listening to her friend talk instead of fantasizing about how Nico’s lipstick would taste if she just leaned in- But she couldn’t do any of those things. 

They decided that they would tell the other’s after they were together after a week or two. Well Nico decided, and Karolina agreed. 

“I want you too myself for a little while longer,” Nico had murmered into her neck, in between kisses, (and which Karolina had felt in her bones, and between her legs, for hours after).

Karolina got where Nico was coming from, there first kiss outside her house had only been a three days ago. She knew that this was not just her first relationship with a girl, but a relationship with her best friend. Their was so much riding on this, that it made it hard to breath sometimes. 

She had never been happier though. Karolina had always thought her crush was just something she had to live with, one of the many consequences and trials of being a lesbian, a crush on your straight best friend. Even when she found out a year or so ago that Nico was bi, she never thought her cool, fearless, wonderful best friend would want to be with her. 

So she dated other girls, and pretended she didn’t want to push Alex into a pool every single time she saw him. She pretended that she never thought about Nico before she fell asleep, or that she was the first thing she thought about when she woke up. It was actually pretty easy to ignore; being best friends with Nico, getting to be a part of her life in a big way, was so much better then nothing. 

Then, after one of the worst fights her and her mother ever had, Nico had made her feel safe. The next morning when she kissed her, Karolina got the best gift of her entire life. Nico felt the same way. 

They had spent all weekend, plus monday (Karolina loved three day weekends even more than she had, which she had not thought was possible), together. She was still avoiding her mom after the church fundraiser fiasco, so she spent both saturday and sunday night with Nico (and most of monday too). 

Usually if they fought, and she ran away to Nico’s (which happened more than she would care to admit), her mother would leave her a half dozen messages demanding that she come home. Her mom didn’t call that night, though. Or any of the days following. She had texted her dad, saturday morning, to say she was fine, and where she was and even though she spent Monday night sleeping in her own room, she had still not seen or spoken to her mother. 

She should have been more worried about it (maybe it made her a bad person because she wasn’t), but this time her mother would have to be the one to come crawling back, not the other way around. 

The silver lining of her fallout with her mother was the extra time with Nico. They hiked in the canyon, and watched old movies (Nico would never admit it to anyone else, but she loved The Breakfast Club). They ordered pizza and ate ice cream, and Nico got up before she could, and got the two of them donuts and coffee. 

They spent hours and hours wrapped around each other, kissing until they couldn’t breathe or move or think. 

Every night Karolina fell asleep with Nico’s arms wrapped around her, (last night, when she slept in her own bed, it took her hours longer- now that she knew the difference, she was sure it would never be easy to fall asleep on her own). 

She was so happy, she wanted to shout it from the rooftops, but she could, she would, wait for Nico. 

She wanted to make Nico as happy as she made her. 

“You guys are not done,” Nico rolled her eyes, and gave Gert a look as she screwed on the cap of her lipstick, “He is head over heels in love with you, and you feel the same.”

“I do not.” Gert mumbled, turning beet red. 

“Good one,” Nico teased, and Karolina looked down at her shoes, clenching her fists so she doesn’t reach out and touch her. Nico leaned over and gave Karolina quick kiss on the lips (it froze her feet to the ground, she wondered if she would ever get used to it, the pressure, the heat, of her lips on hers). 

Nico, not realizing what she just did or that she did it in front of Gert, said “Bye”, before turning on her heel, making her way to English Lit. 

Karolina froze. 

“Wait did she just?” Gerts mouth hung open like a fish. 

Karolina looked at Gert and then Nico, already halfway down the hall and then back again and then shrugged awkwardly. 

“Got to go.” Karolina turned, ignoring Gert’s half dozen questions that were being asked to her retreating back. 

Before she went to her own class (World History), Karolina stopped at Nico’s. She walked up to Nico’s desk, tapping on the notebook in front of her to get her attention.

“What’s up, babe.” Nico looked up, grinning, clearly not realizing that she had just used a pet name (something they had not done when they were just friends). 

How did either of them think they were going to keep this a secret? They were really, really bad at it. 

Nico, especially. Who knew?

“Gert knows,” Karolina said in a rush, “Which means everyone should find out in the next fifteen minutes, I just didn’t want you to be blindsided.” 

“Gert knows.” Nico didn’t look upset (which was a relief), but she did look really confused “How?”

“Think for a second honey,” Karolina supressed a laugh, while shaking her head, “I think it will come to you.”

(2)

So, everyone knew. 

Well not Nico’s parents (who would probably make them sleep in different beds for sleepovers, which would be the complete worst) or Karolina’s (her mom had said ten words to her in the past week, and her dad was on a movie shoot, so there wasn’t an opportunity, even if she wanted to tell them).

Gert, Chase and Molly knew and most of there grade. Turns out that most people thought that they were together already (who knew.) 

Alex had come up to the two of them, a day after the whole “hallway kiss incident” (Nico hated it when she called it that, but it made everyone else laugh hysterically), and said he was happy for them. Karolina believed him, he even told them that he was going on a date with a girl he met through a coding program. 

He seemed happy. 

They even were all eating together again (Alex had avoided them at lunch time and between classes, for a while after he and Nico broke things off). 

It was a Tuesday, and they had an assembly latter, so there lunch was an hour and a half, not forty five minutes. The six of them grabbed a table in the quad, and they were soaking up as much late fall sun as they could (Nico spent about twenty minutes putting on sunscreen and she still wore a wide brimmed hat). 

They had all finished there lunch relatively quickly, but none of them were willing to give up there prime sunning spot. Molly had stretched out in the grass next to them, and had promptly fallen asleep, while Alex was on his computer (furtively checking his phone, Karolina guessed he was texting the girl from coding). 

Chase and Gert had gotten back together (shocker), a few days ago, and she was now draped over his lap, and they were being gross and heterosexual (sorry Chase was being gross and heterosexual, Gert was being gross and bisexual). 

Nico had rolled there eyes at the two of them, shooting Karolina a smirk, and then had continued to pick at the remains of her salad in front of her.

Karolina wondered, idly if they would ever be like that. Despite everyone knowing (well all of there friends anyway, and Amy, who Nico had facetimed a few days ago), Nico had not initiated more than a quick peck on the lips in public. 

In private there had more (a lot more, like oh my god, this is the best thing, freaking ever, more). 

Sure she wants to touch her all the time, to hold her hand, and drape an arm around her shoulder, and to kiss her long and hard and leave Nico dazed by her locker. Nico has never been one for PDA, with anyone she has dated. 

Karolina didn’t want to freak Nico out, or push for too much too fast. She was so content just to be with her.

“You ok?” Nico looked concerned.

“Of course.” They were sitting on the same bench, and Nico’s leg was so close to hers they were almost touching.

“You sure.” Karolina looked at the others, and saw they were all wrapped up in their own worlds (or in Molly’s case, fast asleep.) 

“Positive.” Karolina felt Nico’s hand move to her leg, and it started to rub circles into her soothingly. It was soothing, but it was also making her mind wander to things, not school appropriate, (despite what they did in Karolina’s car after school yesterday- which brought color to her cheeks just thinking about). 

“Actually,” Karolina amended, “Will you hold my hand?”

She wasn’t sure why she said it, (she wanted it, so badly, but still). 

Nico didn’t hesitate for a moment, Karolina was expecting her to maybe hold her hand under the table where no one could see, if she did anything at all. 

She didn’t though, she grabbed Karolina’s free hand, and brought it up to the table in front of them, lacing their fingers together. 

“Good?” Nico asked and she smiled at Karolina like she was the sun. 

She told her, when they had finished kissing on Nico’s bed a few days ago, flushed and blissed out and happy, that Karolina glowed from within, and that was why people gravitated towards her. 

(Karolina wasn’t sure about that, but it might be true, because Nico was the brightest, best thing in her entire world). 

Karolina had to blink back tears that she wasn’t completely sure why they had appeared. 

“Better,” Karolina whispered, “Better than good.”

(3)

Nico said Karolina was too nice; she didn’t agree (how could you be too nice, being nice is a good thing). She said this, usually when she didn’t stand up for herself, (usually that ‘someone’ was her mother) or she let someone think they were right when she knew they weren’t (usually some over excited youth pastor at Church), or generally, smiled and nodded instead of causing conflict (basically anytime Karolina had to interact with 90% of the population and she did the complete opposite of what Nico would do). 

Today, though, she begrudgingly understood her point. 

“So you come here a lot huh?” He said, running his hand through his hair, “I have noticed you before” 

This guy (Jeff she is pretty sure his name was Jeff), sat next to her at her favorite coffee shop, at her favorite table, while she waited for Nico. He was attractive enough (you know, for a guy) and he didn’t go to Atlas, but was about her age. 

He sat next to her ten minutes ago, and he had not stopped talking. 

Usually she is fine with that; she prided herself on being able to make new friends were ever she went. This guy though, clearly did not want to be just friends (which showed he really was not subtle, because usually she did not realize someone was interested until they asked her out or slipped her their number). 

Karolina looked at the clock on the wall. Nico should be here any minute, she could get rid of him (she knew she was being a big baby, and should fight her own battles, but Nico was better at this sort of thing then she was). 

Plus she was alone, in this coffee shop, with only a 5’0, weights 100 pounds soaking wet, barista there. She didn’t know how he would react to straight up rejection. 

She was not a superhero, and it was times like this when she hated that there was this toxic power dynamic between men and women. She had been dealing with stuff like this since she was twelve, men approaching her and screaming things at her from there car, and her not feeling safe enough to say ‘fuck off’ or scream something obscene back.

Men who don’t take no for an answer. 

“Like I said I am meeting my girlfriend-” She smiled plastically, hoping he would take the hint and leave.

“She as pretty as you, pretty girls are always friends with pretty girls.” He then launched into another speech, more than a little sexist, and it took everything she had not to roll her eyes. 

“Hey babe,” Karolina looked up and let out a sigh of relief, as Nico sat down next to her, kissing her cheek. She kind of hopped Nico’s black lipstick would leave a mark on her skin. Nico took one look at Jeff (she did not seem impressed, which showed good judgment on her part. 

“Whose your new friend.”

The way Nico said ‘friend’ made it clear that he was anything, but. This guy was continuing to prove he was not too bright, though, because he just grinned at Nico, looking her up and down. 

She was about ready to punch him. 

“Jeff-” Karolina said. 

“It’s Jason.” 

“Whatever,” Karolina was getting really annoyed now. “This is my girlfriend Nico-”

“I was right pretty girls always have pretty friends,” Jason’s smile was gross (well, even more gross), and Karolina suddenly had the need to take a shower. 

“She’s not interested,” Nico said, with a dangerous smile, her arm going around Karolina’s middle dragging her closer to her. 

(Karolina filed away the realization that the possessive movement was more than a little hot, she could deal with that realization latter). 

“We were-”

“Leave now.” Jason must have been a little smarter than Karolina figured, because he stood up and mumbled something about ‘cockblockers’, as he made his way out the shop (the barista glaring at his back- she was getting the feeling this guy had a history of not getting the meaning of ‘no’). 

Nico looked at her, one eyebrow raised, her hand still solidly on her waist. 

“Thanks,” Karolina said, her breathing still a bit shakey, “that guy was the worst.” 

Nico nodded, her face still angry. Karolina cringed internally, sure that Nico was going to give her shit for being to nice. 

“He was being pushy and gross,” Nico brushed a lock of hair out of Karolina’s face, “And that guy was a dick for trying to take advantage of you being nice.”

“Yah,” Karolina nodded with a small smile. “I thought I was too nice? Isn’t that what you always say”

“Nothing about that was your fault,” Nico smiled sadly, leaning in a little closer, “ And I kind of like you, just as you are.”

(4)

Karolina and Nico were falling into a routine. They slept over at each other every friday and saturday (whenever possible, at the house where there was no one home). They hung out after school, whenever Karolina didn’t have church responsibilities and Nico wasn’t busy. On wednesdays, they went to a two dollar movie at the dive theater near Nico’s house at seven, so they would both make there curfew. 

Even when they weren’t together they texted of snapchatted constantly. Karolina liked to send snaps of herself that were slightly, ok more than slightly suggestive, like herself in just a towel and wet hair (when Nico would see her after those snaps, she would practically jump on top of her and she loved it). 

Every time they kissed it felt like they were hurtling towards something. 

Karolina was pretty sure she should be nervous, but she wasn’t really (it just felt right, everything with Nico felt right). 

Karolina had been ready to go, excited to see Nico for more then lunch and in between classes (they had both been busy after school, and on sunday, this week) and halfway down the hall, when her mother called her name. 

“Karolina,” She was at the top of the steps. When she was young, she had always thought her mother looked like a princess and her father a prince, but now…

She looked more like the snow queen then anything else, when she was looking at her own daughter with such a clear expression of disgust. 

“Mom.” Karolina said carefully, turning to face her mother. 

“Where are you going?”

“To a movie,” Karolina said slowly, unsure of what she could have possibly done wrong now, “with Nico.”

The part of her that longed to still be close to her mother, wished she could tell her about Nico. How her heart fluttered when someone else mentioned her name. How she was pretty sure she was in love (not pretty sure, she was in love with her, completely and utterly and probably for years). 

They used to be close and now space stretched between them, and she didn’t know how to bridge it. 

Or if she wanted to. 

They had still not really talked, about the huge fight they had, where her mother said terrible things (she could still hear the words rattling around her head “disappointment” shrill and angry). 

It had been three weeks since she almost destroyed Karolina with words.

“You spend more time with Nico then you do your own family.”

Her mothers voice was icy, and cruel, meant to wound. 

She knows how her mother fights.

“Nico is my family.” Karolina isn’t sure what possessed her to say it. 

It was the truth, but it was not going to help her in this situation at all. 

“You are not spending the weekend with that girl-”

“That girl?” They had been friends for years, how was Nico just ‘that girl’ to her mother?

“This weekend, you will stay here with your father and I-”

“No.” Karolina said. 

“No?” Her mother raised her voice, and was making her way down the stairs closer and closer.

“No,” Karolina felt her voice raise, “You don’t talk to me for weeks, and then just decide we are going to act like a family? You don’t get to decide I am not worth your time and then demand I play perfect daughter. The jig is up, I’m not perfect, and you don’t love me as much as you do my image on the Church posters. It’s all bullshit!”

Her mother looked shocked. 

She realized she had been screaming. She had never screamed at her mother, even at that fight at the fundraiser, she had just left in tears, running into the arms of Nico. 

“Karolina.” Her mother whispered, and she had the gall to look hurt. 

“No.” Karolina turned and heard her mother call after her even as she slammed the door. 

Karolina didn’t start crying until she was driving and already a block away from her house. She had to pull over for ten minutes until she could continue, and even then she was in a daze. When she walked up to Nico she looked so happy, that she couldn’t help but smile. 

“Ready for ‘Coco’?” Nico grinned ear for ears, “You were late so I got to buy your ticket, I know you hate when I buy you stuff so you can get snacks-”

Nico stopped halfway through her sentence, she must have noticed her the tear tracks on her face or her puffy eyes.

The things a smile couldn’t hide (a smile as protection still had it’s flaws.)

“What’s wrong.” Karolina couldn’t answer, she just shook her head and the tears started, once more. 

Nico threw her hands around Karolinas neck and she hugged her, hard and fierce and she just melted into her girlfriend. 

She hurt, deep in her heart, but just being with Nico made things better, they always did. 

(5)

Nico and Karolina hadn’t gone to see Coco, they went to a coffee shop and talked, Nico holding her hand. When she finally went home, her mother was already in bed, the next morning though, her mother called the school and said she was sick and the two of them when to see a therapist. 

The two of them had started talking, really talking again, for the first time since Karolina had come out. 

Everything was not perfect, and there was still a lot of hurt that still needed to be healed, but things were a lot better than they were. It was jagged and slow and took so much out of her to try, but she wanted to have a relationship with her mom, even if her mom hurt her. 

Karolina’s mom even went with here to get a dress for the winter formal. They used to do this for dances before, her mother and her giggling over dresses, and Karolina spinning so many times she felt dizzy. After she came out, suddenly money was left for her on the counter whenever formal season came around, leaving her feeling cold and empty. 

They picked out a bright blue dress, outside of her usual comfort zone of light purples and pinks. Something about knowing that Nico was going to be her date made her feel brave and warm and safe, like she didn’t need her usual armour of pastels and a smile. Karolina’s mom helped her zip up the back, before she left.

“This is a beautiful dress.”

Karolina hummed in agreement, sneaking looks at herself in the mirror, trying to see herself through Nico’s eyes. 

“Nico will love it.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Karolina knew she must have been blushing (she had never been a good liar). 

“I am not as in the dark as you may think,” She said carefully, smoothing out the side’s of her dress as she stepped away, “You are still my daughter.”

It was like something caught in Karolina’s throat. 

“My beautiful daughter,” her mother said quietly, touching Karolina’s hair for a split second; it was almost like she was talking to herself, “Have fun tonight.”

“I will,” Karolina smiled, grabbing her silver bag (they matched her shoes, which were high enough that they would be abandoned in the corner 30 minutes into the dance). 

“Curfews still 1.”

“Ok,” She nodded, not wanting to ruin the nice moment they just had. 

“Fine,” Her moms mouth twitched with a small smile, “ 2.”

“Thanks mom,” Karolina could hardly believe her ears. 

“Is Nico meeting you here?” 

“No, we are all going to Gert’s,” Karolina said, “To take pictures, and then her parents got us a limo.”

“Well,” Her mom almost looked sad. “Make sure you take one that I can see, Ok?”

“You can count on it.” 

Karolina drove over to Gert’s parking in front of her house, and she quickly found everyone else, milling around the Yorkes kitchen, drinking ‘juice’ out plastic cups, (Molly was actually drinking juice, but the cup that was shoved into Karolina’s hands had more tequila than orange juice). Alex and his new girlfriend were cute, and so were Gert and Chase (who were not even pretending not to love each other, which was nice). Nico hadn’t arrived when she got there, but when she walked through the door Karolina’s heart nearly stopped. 

She was wearing a long, dark red dress, and her hair was down and wavy, her eyes were outlined dark and with a heavy hand, and her lips the same red, almost black as her dress. She skipped (yes skipped, what of it) to Nico, and leaned down to whisper in her ear. 

“How is the most gorgeous girl in the room?” 

“I don’t know,” Nico looked up at her, all fake seriousness, “How are you?”

Karolina laughed so loudly, the entire room looked at her, and she hid her blush in Nico’s hair. They took the picture’s (both stupid, middle fingers in the air and and other lewd gestures and parent approved in the traditional ‘prom pose’) and had more champagne in the limo. 

They all walked into the gym together, ‘the winter wonderland’ was mostly streamers and balloon arches, but the music was good and the lights were low, so it was perfect. 

Karolina danced and danced and danced with friends and with Nico, to fast songs spinning and jumping up and down, and she felt liking she was floating above the clouds.

Then, slow song came on.

“Dance with me” Nico said, her smile easy and warm (and probably, a little bit caused by the tequila from earlier), her hands finding her’s.

“Is that a question?” Karolina smirked. 

“Of course.” Nico said, dead serious, “But I would really love it if you said yes.”  
“Well in that case.”

Nico was in her heels, and Karolina’s had been abandoned long ago, so they were almost the same height, and Nico threw her arms over her shoulders and her hands found her waist. 

“I am going to kiss you,” Nico whispered, “If that’s ok.”

“Of course-”

Before she could finish, Nico was kissing her with everything she had, the arms that were gentle around her neck were now insistent, one hand traveling down her back, bringing her even closer. She was kissing her like it might be there last kiss; it was a fire and brimstone, the world might end, sweeter then honey and hotter then hell kind of kiss.

When they broke apart, Karolina was out of breath. 

“Is everything alright-”

“I love you.” Nico looked up at her and her eyes were shining, like she was worried Karolina wouldn’t feel the same. 

(Silly girl, Nico had been it for her since they were seven year old). 

Karolina always thought she was going to be the one to say it first. This was one thing she was ok to come in second place.

“I love you, too.” Karolina whispered, leaning in, their foreheads touching, and Nico let out a uneven gasp, like she had been holding her breath, and she moved her arms down to Karolina’s waiste making sure they were hip to hip, chest to chest. 

Karolina could keep dancing until dawn

(They danced until the lights came on at 11, it was close enough)

(+1) 

So they were both really, really drunk. 

Chase had thrown a party (to celebrate him and Gert making it to a month without breaking up), and he made Karolina play Beer Pong (when he knew that Rage Cage was her game), so she got tipsy, way too early in the night. 

Nico was on the couch laughing at Karolina dancing, and she was wearing lots of rings and a black dress that inched up her thighs and no tights. She was tipsy, and Nico had that look on her face, so she knew she was tipsy too, but she was so so beautiful, and she loved her, and she knew she didn’t like PDA, but she thought maybe just this once-

Karolina sat next to her girlfriend and she kissed Nico, not sweet, not quick, but long and hard and wet and- 

Nico was into it, and was moaning, and she said ‘yes’ over and over again between kisses; Karolina dragged Nico over her lap, in one motion keeping her hands on her hips, her thighs braketing her hips and they were at a party and she should probably stop but she really, really didn’t want too-

“I thought you didn’t like PDA,” Nico gasped into her mouth, her hands tangled in Karolina’s hair. 

Karolina pulled away, looking at her gorgeous girlfriend, trying to focus on her words and not the color of her kiss bruised lips.

“What made you think that?” Karolina was shocked.

“You never initiate it-” Nico looked almost as confused. 

“Because you hated PDA with everyone else you dated-”

“Because they weren’t you Kar,” Nico said with a look on her face like she was the one who was being really dense about all this. 

Karolina just laughed, and she brought Nico’s lips down to meet her’s.

They wouldn’t get to carried away, she promised herself, she was just happy and in love. They were happy and in love. 

(They might have gotten carried away.)

Gert and Chase say they were both scared for life, when they saw them at school on Monday.

“I saw to much,” Chase said, like he survived living in a war zone. 

(Like they had any room to talk, they were on top of each other more than they were off, as far as she could tell). 

Karolina just shrugged and threw her arm over Nico’s shoulder. 

She didn’t even try to feel bad about Gert and Chase’s whining and teasing, because it was as though she was happier every day, even though the day before she thought it was impossible to any happier than she was now. 

Nico smirked up at her. She then, reached up to thread her own fingers through Karolina’s, the ones resting on Nico’s shoulder, and brought there hands to her for a quick kiss.

Nico loved her. Karolina loved her. They loved each other. 

They were happy.

**Author's Note:**

> I was not planning to do a second part of 'we can be friends' but it is really fun to write in the nopowers!au !!!!
> 
> Let me know what y'all think :)


End file.
